A big part of traveling and enjoying your boat holiday is the food. If you really want to elevate your sailing experience, you should make sure to include these delicious Mediterranean recipes. We have hand-picked a few of our favorites that will compliment the savory, salty air of the sea and are simple enough to cook on a boat.
1. Grilled Halloumi with Watermelon and Basil-Mint Oil
Two amazing things destined to be together… and even better grilled!
Photo by Romulo Yanes
INGREDIENTS
-
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
-
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint plus thinly sliced mint for garnish
-
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
-
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus more for brushing
-
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
-
3/4 pound cherry tomatoes on the vine
-
1 8-9-ounce package Halloumi cheese, cut crosswise into 8 slices
-
6 small triangles thinly sliced watermelon, rind removed
RECIPE PREPARATION
-
Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to high. Purée basil, 3 tablespoons mint, and garlic in a blender. With machine running, add 1/2 cup oil. Set a strainer over a small bowl; strain, pressing on solids. Season with salt and pepper.
-
Brush grill rack with oil. Drizzle 2 tablespoons basil-mint oil over tomatoes and cheese; season with salt and pepper. Grill tomatoes, turning occasionally, until charred and bursting, about 4 minutes. Grill cheese until nicely charred in spots and beginning to melt, about 45 seconds per side.
-
Arrange melon on a platter. Top with cheese and tomatoes. Drizzle remaining herb oil over; garnish with sliced mint.
2. Baked Sea Bass with Cherry Tomatoes
When cherry tomatoes are broiled in the oven, they burst and create their own fresh sauce for this simple sea bass recipe.
Photo by Yossy Arefi
INGREDIENTS
-
1 shallot, thinly sliced
-
2 garlic cloves, chopped
-
2 cups cherry tomatoes (about 12 ounces)
-
1/2 cup chopped green olives
-
1 tablespoon olive oil
-
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
-
4 6-ounce fillets sea bass or other white fish
-
1/4 cup (packed) chopped fresh basil
RECIPE PREPARATION
-
Place a rack in upper third of oven and preheat broiler. Combine shallot, garlic, tomatoes, olives, and oil in a medium bowl, season with salt and pepper, and toss well. Set aside.
-
Place fish in a 13×9-inch glass baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Scatter tomato mixture over fish and broil until fish is opaque throughout and tomatoes have started to burst, 10–13 minutes. Serve with basil scattered over top.
3. Grilled Lamb Skewers with Carrots, Feta, and Mint
Photo by Dominique LaFond
Marinated, grilled, and paired with tender carrots and a simple feta-mint condiment, these lamb skewers are the answer when you’re looking for big flavor. For the most tender results, use meat cut from the top round of the leg of lamb, or trim around the connective tissue of a butterflied leg to get to the leaner meat.
INGREDIENTS
Lamb
-
1/2 cup dry white wine
-
1/2 cup olive oil
-
8 garlic cloves, minced
-
4 teaspoons kosher salt
-
4 teaspoons sugar
-
4 teaspoons whole grain mustard
-
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
-
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
-
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
-
2 pounds trimmed leg of lamb, cut into 1′ cubes
Carrots
-
2 tablespoons olive oil
-
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
-
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
-
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
-
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
-
Pinch of ground cinnamon
-
3 bunches baby carrots (about 3/4 lb. total), trimmed, peeled
-
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Assembly
-
1/2 cup coarsely torn fresh mint leaves
-
1/2 cup crumbled feta
-
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
-
2 teaspoons olive oil
-
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
RECIPE PREPARATION
Lamb
-
Whisk all ingredients except lamb in a medium bowl to blend well. Add lamb to bowl and toss to coat. Cover and chill, tossing occasionally, for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
Carrots
-
Whisk first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl to blend; set marinade aside.
-
Cut any carrots longer than 3″ in half lengthwise on a diagonal. Cook carrots in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, 4-5 minutes. Drain. Transfer carrots to a large bowl of ice water to cool. Drain and pat dry.
-
Add carrots to marinade; season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Assembly
-
Arrange carrots on a large platter; set aside. Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to high. Thread lamb onto skewers. Grill lamb, turning every 1-2 minutes, until lamb is cooked to desired doneness, 7-8 minutes for medium-rare to medium. Lay skewers over carrots and let lamb rest for 5 minutes.
-
Meanwhile, toss mint, feta, lemon juice, and oil in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon mint-feta mixture evenly over lamb and carrots.
4. Fig and Goat Cheese Pizza with Arugula
Photo by Matt Duckor
INGREDIENTS
-
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
-
1 tablespoon minced shallot
-
1 cup dried figs, stemmed, quartered
-
1/2 cup Marsala
-
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
-
1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
-
Freshly ground black pepper
-
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more
-
1 1/2 cups bread flour
-
8 ounces fresh goat cheese
-
2 cups arugula
-
1 pear, cored, thinly sliced
RECIPE PREPARATION
-
Heat 1/2 Tbsp. oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot; stir until soft, about 5 minutes. Add figs, Marsala, and rosemary. Increase heat. Bring to a boil. Add 1 cup water. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring often and adding water by tablespoonfuls if too thick, until figs are soft and jam measures 1 1/4 cups, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
-
Pulse 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, bread flour, 1 1/2 Tbsp. oil, 1 tsp. salt, and 1 cup water in a food processor until dough forms. Divide into 4 pieces. Wrap each in plastic and let rest until soft, 2–3 hours.
-
Preheat oven to 450°. Roll out each dough piece on a floured surface to a very thin 10″ round. Cover with a kitchen towel.
-
Place 1 dough round on each of 2 baking sheets. Bake for 3–4 minutes to partially cook. Repeat with remaining dough.
-
Spread 3–4 Tbsp. fig jam over each crust; scatter 2 oz. goat cheese over each. Bake in batches until crust is crisp, 4–5 minutes.
-
Toss arugula, pear, and remaining 1 tsp. oil in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Top pizzas with salad.
5. Shrimp Saganaki
Photo by Matt Duckor
Saganaki, a traditional Greek preparation named after the pan in which it’s prepared, is best served straight from the skillet, with plenty of toasted bread for scooping up the savory tomato sauce. If you can find them, wild American shrimp and high-quality Greek feta really make this dish special.
